Abstract

Reproductive cycle of natural population and artificial control experiments of gonadal development by the conditions of water temperatures-feeding and starvation of Ruditapes philippinarum were investigated by histological observations. The reproductive cycle of natural population in females and males can be categorized into five successive stages; early active (February to March), late active (April to May), ripe (April to August), partially spawned (May to October), and spent-inactive stage (August to March). In the artificial control experiments, gonadal development of this species was inhibited by the low water temperature (10<TEX>$^{\circ}C$</TEX>). In the experimental group which was exposed to artificial high water temperatures of 19<TEX>$^{\circ}C$</TEX> and 22<TEX>$^{\circ}C$</TEX>, gonadal development was accelerated by the higher water temperatures and was faster (about one month) than that in natural populations. In the high water temperatures-feeding experimental group, the gonadal developmental phase was faster in the small-size group than that in the large-size group, and was faster in lower water temperature (10<TEX>$^{\circ}C$</TEX>)(p=0.01). The gonad developmental phases in the high water temperature (22-28<TEX>$^{\circ}C$</TEX>)-starvation experimental group showed faster (paired sample t-test, p=0.004) than those in the high water temperature-feeding group in females and males. In the high water temperature-feeding experimental group of female and male gonadal developments of small sized group were more sensitive than those in large sized group after 42 days cultivation, However, the gonadal development of male was more sensitive to the lower water temperature than female. On the whole, sexual maturation in the high water temperature experimental group was faster than those in the low water temperature group, and showed a significant difference (paired sample t-test, p=0.001) between female and male. In the starvation experimental group after 42 days, gonadal developments in the high water temperature-large male group showed faster than those in the high water temperature-large female group. However, in small size, gonad developmental phases showed the same pattern between feeding and starvation experimental groups. During the main spawning season, in the high water temperature-starvation experimental groups in females and males, their gonadal development showed faster than that in higher water temperature-feeding experimental group regardless of their sexes and individual sizes and showed a significant difference (paired sample t-test, p=0.004).